The EU took a key step to close the trade agreement with Mercosurbut the process is not finished. Each side has to give its particular yes, and in the European case the primary sector has become angry at an agreement that they never wanted: European farmers consider that it leaves them in unequal conditionsand they repeated it this Monday in a march in Brussels precisely as a protest. “It is an agreement that leaves us in unequal conditions”they explain from the sector to 20 minutes while they have demonstrated in the community capital, with premises that they already made clear months ago in the massive mobilizations that reached different parts of Europe.
“Who’s going to pay for all this?”the farmers questioned themselves, with that phrase as their motto. “Mercosur countries do not have to comply with the production standards required of EU agriculture, whether in relation to phytosanitary products, animal welfare or sustainable practices,” they explain from Asaja, and emphasize that on the other side of the ocean the rules are “more lax” than in Europe.
In this sense, they also remember that in 2023 “the Mercosur made clear its lack of ambition and commitment to comply with even basic international conventions or binding sustainability measures,” he summarizes, before focusing again on Brussels: “The European Commission acts incoherently.” For his part, the president of the Copa, Massimiliano Giansanti, already said days ago that this pact is ” worrying”.
The EU estimates that The EU-Mercosur pact will allow savings of around 4,000 million euros in tariffs per year. This absence of fees, in addition to an increase in investments, exchange of information and standardization of conditions are some of the points of an agreement that will now have to be discussed not only by the Member States, but also ratified by the European Parliament. Likewise, the Latin American part will also have to give its green light.
France is the European country that has most opposed the agreement, and already vetoed it in 2019. Now Emmanuel Macron, in a context of maximum national uncertainty, He has been cornered, but he is going to look for allies in the Council to be able to block again. Poland can join their ‘team’, but it will be key to see what Italy does, which has not had this issue as one of its priorities in recent years. The idea, of course, is to be able to avoid unanimity between countries by trying to ‘widen’ the Treaties.
We will not accept an agreement with Mercosur that turns a blind eye to the main concerns of farmers
Spanish farmers came out quickly after the announcement last Friday, showing their discontent. From COPA-Cogeca, the sector was resounding and followed the line recently set. “We will not accept an agreement with Mercosur that turns a blind eye to the main concerns of farmers and ranchers about the divergence of standards of production. “European farmers and ranchers will never support a trade agreement that lacks harmony and that is harmful to the environment, to our food sovereignty and to the rural environment,” they summarize, and ask for greater “protection” for a sector that is “strategic”. This lack of “safeguards” for European farmers was the main reason why France, together with Ireland, refused to sign the pact five years ago.